A New View

Question

Loralee paced her room, nervously biting her freshly painted nails when her mother, Barbara, entered, carrying a basket of neatly folded clothing.
"I was hoping you would help me with the laundry tonight, Loralee," Barbara scolded, a severe frown on her face. "Seriously, you have no idea what it was like for us growing up. In the 1890s, we had no radios, no records, no washing machines, no telephones…it was a different time."
"It really is a different time than when you were young, Mom," Loralee began. "Girls are doing lots of unconventional things in the 1920s, like going to college, cutting their hair, watching movies at the cinema, entering dance contests…"
"Loralee, I am not interested in hearing this because you know how I feel about things girls are doing these days," Barbara asserted, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Women should raise their girls to grow up and take care of their husbands and families. This 'New Woman' nonsense is ruining the traditions our country is based on."
As soon as Barbara left the room, Loralee removed her bathrobe to reveal a sleek dress that fell just above her knees, decorated with sequins and fringe. Loralee managed to successfully climb down the tree outside her bedroom window and make her way to the ground. She started to creep across the lawn when, in a frightening instant, the porch light flipped on.
"Loralee!" Her father's voice fractured the silence of the night, and Loralee stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around slowly to find her father, Jack, standing on the front porch. Horribly terrified, Loralee slunk toward Jack.
"Oh, Loralee, what in heaven's name are you doing climbing down the tree in a flapper's dress?" Jack asked.
"Dad, I just wanted to go to the pavilion for an innocent dance contest," Loralee admitted. "I love to dance, and Mom would never have given me permission because she is completely against dancing."
"I understand that you love to dance, Loralee, but these sneaky, disobedient antics are unacceptable," Jack asserted. "This is no way to treat your mother."
Shame filled Loralee's belly as she realized that her father was right. Her mother worked hard all day to keep their house and organize their lives.
"Your mother was raised to be a traditional woman," Jack said. "Times are changing, and you want to change with them. We both understand this, but under no circumstances do we want our sixteen–year–old daughter traipsing around the city at night. If you want us to respect your views, you need to respect our responsibility to keep you safe."
Jack's rational argument made Loralee feel worse because she had never considered her parents' viewpoints.
"I am really sorry, Dad, because I do respect you," Loralee began. "I just want a different life than the one Mom has envisioned for me."
"Well, I think this conversation is an endeavor that we will have to tackle when we are all well rested," Jack said. "For tonight, you are grounded until further notice."
Loralee knew she would have to find new strategies for articulating her views to her parents. Seeing things from their perspective humbled Loralee. Their rules were perhaps not as ridiculous as she had previously believed but maybe were simply protective. She had a realization that her parents were really just people too. Knowing this made her more confident that they could somehow find a middle ground regarding what a young woman of 1926 should be.

First and Last Name
*
Noah McDougald
The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A:

Which theme is clearly evident in "A New View"?
*
20 points
Traditions should be honored.
Waiting for change is hard.
Growing up is difficult.
Parents should give children room to grow.
Part B:

Which detail from the text best supports your answer from part A?
*
20 points
"It really is a different time than when you were young, Mom," Loralee began.
"I love to dance, and Mom would never have given me permission because she is completely against dancing."
Jack's rational argument made Loralee feel worse because she had never considered her parents' viewpoints.
Loralee knew she would have to find new strategies for articulating her views to her parents.
The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A:
Which other theme is clearly evident in "A New View"?
*
20 points
A conservative woman has no place in modern society.
Many can be swayed by someone who has determination and a strong will.
Young women can identify better with their fathers than with their mothers.
Just because people disagree does not mean that they cannot respect one another.
Part B:

Which detail from the text best supports your answer from part A?
*
20 points
"It really is a different time than when you were young, Mom," Loralee began.
"I understand that you love to dance, Loralee..."
Loralee knew she would have to find new strategies for articulating her views to her parents. Seeing things from their perspective humbled Loralee.
Jack's rational argument made Loralee feel worse because she had never considered her parents' viewpoints.
The reader can infer that Loralee's mother does not work outside of the home. Which sentence from the text best supports this inference?
*
20 points
Loralee paced her room, nervously biting her freshly painted nails when her mother, Barbara, entered, carrying a basket of neatly folded clothing.
"I was hoping you would help me with the laundry tonight, Loralee," Barbara scolded, a severe frown on her face.
"Women should raise their girls to grow up and take care of their husbands and families."
Her mother worked hard all day to keep their house and organize their lives.

Answer 1

Part A:

The theme clearly evident in "A New View" is:
Growing up is difficult.

Part B:

The detail from the text that best supports this answer is:
"Jack's rational argument made Loralee feel worse because she had never considered her parents' viewpoints."

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Part A:

The other theme clearly evident in "A New View" is:
Just because people disagree does not mean that they cannot respect one another.

Part B:

The detail from the text that best supports this answer is:
"Seeing things from their perspective humbled Loralee."

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The reader can infer that Loralee's mother does not work outside of the home. The sentence from the text that best supports this inference is:
"Her mother worked hard all day to keep their house and organize their lives."